Sunlight and Shadows
by Adagio To A Wolf
Summary: The amazing duo of Lioness's Heart and Lady Wolf, bring you another installment from the Beka Cooper books. Set after "Bloodhound" and "In My Eyes" Beka and Rosto deal with an Old Flame and general chaos ensues.
1. Chapter 1: Cookies

**The amazing duo of Lioness's Heart and Lady Wolf, bring you another installment from the Beka Cooper books. Set after "Bloodhound" and "In My Eyes" Beka and Rosto deal with an Old Flame and general chaos ensues. The general disclaimer: We're not Tammy, and we don't own the characters, etc. Oki! **

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Being an Excerpt from the Journal of Rebakah Cooper  
Provosts Guardswoman, The Lower City, Corus.

August 5, 247

Ye Gods! Has it been a long night!

I'll start with Watch. Goodwin and I started out, after Muster at the Kennel, and we were on our merry way, stopping foists, picking out counterfeiters (we're experts at it by now) and the usual chasing of Rats. We were halfway through our rounds, right at the point where we swapped off with Tunstall and Ersken, and decided to wend our way towards the Mantel and Pullet. Goodwin was hungry and I was feeling famished myself. Just as we're about to cross the street for supper, a man a-horse calls out to us.

"Insufferable," grumbles Goodwin, looking longingly at the door to the Mantel and Pullet. "Don't they know better than to stand between a Dog and her dinner?" She looks at the man who called out to us. As I he rides over, I realize that I recognize him. I've seen him before at my Lord Provosts house, though I've never spoken to him before.

"Governor Edgan." I whisper to Goodwin, "he's a right, pompous ass most of the time. Seems to think the Provost's Dogs are his own personal army. He's usually shocked at the amount of sass Dogs give him and complains about it heavily to my Lord." Goodwin snorts her disgust. She only really respects a few people in this City, and most of them are Dogs. I shush her complaint as the Governor draws near.

"Evening Governor Edgan," I tell him, letting my Dog-voice carry a bit. He's still a-horse, which is rude. I figure, if we be nice to him, he'll save my Lord some misery. "How do you fare this fine summers evening?" Goodwin grumbles her greeting and leaves me to do the talking._Guardswoman Cooper, what will be your disguise today? You've been Goodwin, Sabine, a common market girl missing her man, a doxy. Let's see. A mot with sass. Like Verene. Oh, Verene, I'll sass him just for you!_

"Well, my good Guardswomen, I'm afraid I'm a bit miffed." He huffs and makes himself look important. "Do either of you know Rogue Rosto the Piper?" Goodwin coughs a bit and looks at me. He's daft if he thinks a Lower City Dog don't know Rosto the Piper, and we know him better than most. Me more than Goodwin, but still.

Goodwin can't stand stupid people, and this man is annoyingly stupid. "You talk with the mumper" Goodwin hisses in my ear as she looks around, pretending to be standing lookout.

"Aye. We know him. What's he done now?" I says to the governor. Really, when I thought of becoming a Dog, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with blisteringly boring and pompous nobility.

"Well!" begins the governor, and I know this is going to be a long story. "Firstly! The Rogue is a cheeky scoundrel! Stealing money from good hard-working citizens! And those gambling dens! And those Doxies! Hmmm!" He's leaning over his horses flank as he gesticulates wildly into the air, getting more and more excitable as he talks. I take a firm hold on the horse's bridle and stroke his soft brown nose. "Why! They are breeding grounds for sin!"

I tune out most of the Governors tirade after that. Everyone knows he's a hypocrite. He can't hold onto his coin to save his life. He's a compulsive gambler, and the horrible part is, he always loses. Heavily. More times than I care to remember, his wife comes in to haul his losing bum from the tables. I feign proper attention, being as I'm a good Dog, and he goes on listing the evils of gambling. I cannot help but think two things. 1) Who is he to talk. And 2) why is he telling this to me? Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper, Terrier and Bloodhound, she who helped close the Cole's case. Who is he to lecture me about the evils of gambling. I know all this.

"And then there's that DOG!" says the Governor, "You folk should really let the little trollop go: she's sleeping right at the heart of the Rogue and not arresting a single one of those scum. She's bought for sure!" At that moment, I decide I'm ready to forget being nice to this pig of a man, and I don't care if he tells my behavior to the King. "Why! I hear she's the Rogue's own Doxy."

With that comment Goodwin's hackles go up. Mainly because the man is right stupid, to be insulting a Lady-Dog, to another Lady-Dog. Second, because he's stupid enough to think that he knows how to run the Dogs better than the Dogs do. And third, because that little 'trollop' is me. Her partner. I don't realize it at first, but my hackles are way up. The horse snorts as he senses our discomfort.

Goodwin steps in and delivers a sound tongue-lashing, which I won't transcribe here because it would take up far too much space, and because, well, she says some nasty things to the Governor, ending with a healthy, "Go jump in the Olorun and stay there. The Lady Dog that's in the Rogue is as hardworking as I am, and let me be honest with you." Well, really, like her insults weren't honest enough, NOW she's going to be honest. Oh goodness, Goodwin! "Let me tell you!" Her imitation is rude and it makes the Governor jump, "You're a sore loser, Governor Edgan. Everyone in the Lower City knows you couldn't hold onto your coin if it was glued to your hands. I hear that when you go in a gambling house, they give a small cheer, because the house will certainly be paid well that night."

He really chose a bad time to annoy Goodwin. I can literally hear her stomach rumble. Governor Edgan looks insulted and can barely keep the indignation out of his voice. He gives her a leer, "I'll have you know I am good friends with your Lord Provost! He will hear of your deplorable behavior!" He says it hoping that it will terrify Goodwin and me into behaving like Puppies. It won't. If he'd threatened to tell Ahuda, I might behave. But Goodwin, well, depending.

"You do that!" Snarls Goodwin, "Tell him Corporal Guardswoman Goodwin gives her regards. And tell him my husband and I enjoyed having dinner with them last week." She's right growling at him. I let the horse go, and make a small cough to get their attention. _For you Verene. _

"You've gone and made Goodwin cross." I chastise the fool Governor, "You don't have to walk the Watch with her tonight, or be her partner for the rest of the evening. Get your bum on home, so your good wife doesn't have to face the shame of coming down to the Kennel to get you out of the Cages, acos you was harassing hungry Dogs. Scat." I make a shoo-shoo at him, like I would a small child, using the tone I learned from Tansy and Maya.

"Come on lass, lets get supper. I'm so hungry, I'll eat his horse." Goodwin turns on her heel, and walks away from the Governor. We stalk into the Mantel and Pullet, and Tunstall and Ersken are in a corner, having already ordered for us as well.

"Luckily!" I tell her, as we meander through tables, "It's Ersken who gets to finish out the Watch with you, and not me." This makes Goodwin emit an evil cackle and ruffle Ersken's hair as we approach.

Poor Ersken. He always looks like he's about to be sick when he goes on watch with Goodwin. Tunstall and I have to cajole him to eat sommat, acos he's just that nervous. Anything he (or any of us for that matter) don't eat, goes straight to that sweet mutt, Achoo. Or to Pounce. But more likely to Achoo, because Pounce always gets freebies. Achoo is a sweetling, she follows Ersken everywhere!

"Cooper, it's you and me collecting the Happy Bag tonight." Says Tunstall, clapping me roughly on the back as I eat my spinach. "You know, Rogue Rosto is always a bit more generous when you're sitting at the table." This makes me look up. I wish he could have said it a wee bit quieter.

"Must be my smile" I grunt at him, focusing on my food. I'm not one to waste a meal, especially if Tunstall is paying. "It sure ain't anything else." I give Tunstall a pointed look, and he gives me a sheepish grin. Then I glare at Ersken.

"Why are you turning them ice eyed glims on me?!" he squeals as I cuff him on the head.

"Because you're a nosy snoop who don't know how to keep his mouth shut about business that ain't his." He looks like he's about to argue with me, cheeky little thing that he is, and I play my own card before he can even start. "You don't hear me chatting about yours and Kora's interesting Conversation from this morning."

"You didn't hear that?" He asks, face going from healthy to oatmeal colored in about a second, when I give him a fierce grin he blanches so he's whiter than Rosto. "You wouldn't?"

"I would if you don't learn to stop gossiping about my business. If I want to tell Tunstall who I've been bedding, I'll tell him myself. Elsewise, its only my business. Got it?" I finish my food and hand Ersken my plate. He takes it with a steady nod. He scrapes everyone's leftovers onto his plate and puts it in front of Achoo who gobbles it greedily, but gives a few small mouthfuls to my cat. Ersken goes to hand the plates back to the serving woman, and pay the check with the money Tunstall gives him.

When he's gone, Tunstall pounces on me. "What did he and Kora talk about? Go on, tell us, Beka. We won't tease him. Not much anyways." That makes me and Goodwin laugh. Tunstall would tease him until the stormwings came home or Ersken begged a different partner. Pounce meows that I should tell them, since it would take the attention off of me. If Pounce says it's okay.

"Kora wants to settle." I tell them as I pull Pounce into my lap. He purrs contentedly as I tell them how "Kora wants to Marry and Have Children. Though it don't necessarily have to be in that order. She wouldn't mind the children first, if you catch my meaning." Tunstall practically squeals his delight, but composes his face as Ersken comes back with the change. Goodwin grabs Ersken by the cuff, before Tunstall can start on him, Achoo walking faithfully at their heals.

Tunstall drains his jack, motions for me to get up, then plucks Pounce from my arms, draping my cat across his broad shoulders, that are six feet off the ground mind you, and we leave. Pounce is purring happily and meowing into Tunstalls ear. He enjoys the height. We stroll around the Nightmarket together and then head towards the Dancing Dove.

When we walk in, my eyes zoom straight to the Rogue's Dais, where Rosto is sitting at his throne, looking quite fine in a Cerulean shirt that I picked out for him. He looks very good in it. He's talking to some fellow with greasy black hair and looks like he strolled right out of a swamp. "Wonder who's the Tyran?" mutters Tunstall as we stroll around to chat with the Barkeep.

The Barkeep, is a new addition to the Dancing Dove. He's a good man, from the coast, by the name of Corcoran. I'm the only one that don't call him by his last name. I call him Cookie. Yes. Cookie. He's not just the barkeep. When Rosto found out the man could make Yamani Rolls and Peach Cobbler along with the usual fare, and knew several Scanran recipes like meat pies, well, he was hired on the spot. During the day and the dinner rush, he was a Cook, and at nights during Court, he was the Barkeep. Rosto couldn't let him go. He's a good man, with ties to some vendors who are his family here in Corus. He stays on the first floor of the Dancing Dove, one of the guest rooms has been turned into his personal, private residence. He keeps his kitchen spotless, which makes all of us happy, because a clean kitchen is a good kitchen. Like most cooks, he's got a bit of weight around the belly, but not in a way that is unpleasing and he's not fat. Just chubby. It's actually a bit cute, in a house full of hard muscled folk like Rosto, Phelan, Aniki, and me. Cookie's got wide brown eyes and a friendly smile which make him likeable. He works hard and loves to cook and boss the two kitchen girls around. He says he'll turn them into proper Chefs in no time and they grumble about dishpans and washing rags. But they love him and dote on him constantly.

"Evening Cookie." I say, leaning on the counter. A man who was leaning there turns and is about to flirt with the pretty gixie which is me, when he realizes I'm a Dog, and scampers. "Tunstall, this is Corcoran, the Dancing Dove's resident Cook and Barman." The two men nod to each other. They've seen each other before, no doubt. Folk don't miss men like Tunstall.

"Hello." Says Tunstall, all friendly smiles. He's already looking at the chalkboard which has tonights food listed on it. I tap his shoulder.

"You just ate." I remind him and he sighs heartily. Cookie places a jack of barley water in front of me.

"Oh, but you get service without a word? I'll have a barley water." He says nicely, and Cookie has it out before the words are even done. "What can you tell us about the Tyran." I shake my head. He don't even know Cookie, and he's already asking him questions. Cookie gives me a wry grin. That's another reason Rosto hired him: Cookie is smart. Smarter than most Dogs and Rats. He observes people and can easily tell you what a person's like. He don't say nothing 'less he's asked, and he knows when to talk and what to say. Which works in a house full of Rats and Dogs.

"Well," starts off Cookie, picking up a freshly washed mug, and wiping it with a clean cloth. "As far as I was told, he's an envoy from the Tyran Rogue. Gossips around here say there's a war between Rogue's in Tyra and Tusaine and Galla's getting involved. Tyra wants the Tortallan Rogue's aid."

"How's Rosto treating it?" I ask Cookie as I sip my barley water. He knows about me and Rosto and about Cooper and the Rogue. He figured it out in no time and promised to keep his mouth shut.

"Well. He's bored for one. See how he's just barely paying attention?" he points with his eyes and I chance a glance at Rosto. He is bored. "He's also probably not keen on allying himself with Tyra. Slippery lot." When he sees my intrigued look, he goes, "Well, he ain't offered the man a drink. Not really keen on friendship if he won't be hospitable. But that's just my way of looking at it."

"Mithros, my good man, you should be a Dog." Murmurs Tunstall, obviously pleased with the information Cookie got from just listening. Cookie shakes his head 'no.' He limps out from behind the bar and picks up two mugs left on a nearby table with a copper noble. That's Cookie's flaw, though it don't stop him from being sweet: he's got a bum leg from an accident with a carriage. His leg never healed right and, though it don't hurt him no more, he can't run on it. But walking and bustling around a kitchen he does and does well, and enjoys it.

"Cookie. You think we could push the docket. It's the Happy Bag tonight, and much as I love you and your food, I dinna feel like sitting around here while that Tyran slimes his way into a Rogue war."

"I'll see what I can do," he says bringing up a glass for wine. Rosto always has a glass. Just the one, and only the nice stuff. He's about to signal Rosto when the door opens with a bang. Standing just inside the doorway, looking around curiously was a young woman, about twenty-three or so. Her hair was long, glossy, and a beautiful shade of brown. Eyes of molten gold searched the room, like she was looking for someone. Her face was delicate, her skin a dark shade of ivory. She was pretty and slender, with a dancer's physique. _With that skin, I'd say Scanran, but southern Scanra, because of that hair. _

She run's forward, and happily squeals ( I kid you not, she squealed like a piggie) she squeals, "ROSTO!" But before she can throw herself into his arms, Bold Brian is there to block her way, and with a firm hold on the mot, looks at Rosto.

"I'm busy now Kashana. No, Brian, take her aside and Aniki, be a dear and explain to her how things are done in Corus. Katie, if you could send someone to 'escort' our Tyran friend to his residences in Corus," he's all Rogue and all business. Cookie gives a cough, and comes over with Rosto's wine. He's the only one allowed to just walk onto the platform without permission. Cookie whispers in his ear and Rosto sees me and Tunstall by the bar. "Excellent idea. Lets deal with the Dogs first. Please, Guardsman Tunstall, Guardswoman Cooper. Come up and sit. We've a bit to discuss."

He and Tunstall discuss the Happy Bag, and while I'm listening I'm not really paying attention to the discussion. My eyes flit over the room and I find myself glancing back to Aniki and other ladies of the Rogue who are quite pointedly discussing 'how things are done in Corus.' Aniki's hand is on her sword and I imagine she is ready to chop someone into a bunch of pieces. When Rosto give and good strong, "EXCELLENT!" I know the happy bag discussions are over and Tunstall and I leave. I'm intrigued about who is the new mot and will be asking Rosto about her later. Extensively.

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**Next Chapter will be from Lioness's Heart. We thank you for reading and encourage you to review! **

**Sincerely, Authoress's **

**Lioness's Heart and Lady Wolf. **


	2. Chapter 2: Kashana

Being an excerpt from the Journal of Rosto the Piper  
King of the Rogue, the Lower City , Corus.

August 5, 247

After Court

Mithros, this year is full of problems. Tonight brought yet another one to the forefront.

It wasn't a challenger for my throne; it was worse. It's not unusual for things to start out normal, then go to the other end of the spectrum. As usual, I left for Court (it's sort of nice to just have to walk downstairs) a while after Beka left for her Watch. That habit that I picked up a couple of months ago – wearing a brightly colored silk shirt – seems to brighten things up, since the colors I pick are rather unusual. I let Beka pick tonight, on a whim. She picked a brilliant cerulean that I rather like.

So, I walked downstairs, only to be attacked by a group of doxies. Again. That happens about once a week, now. They think that they can take advantage of the Rogue because he slipped out of the Golden Swan's claim. It's really starting to get irritating. I had to wade through the group in order to get to my throne, ducking and dodging them. Honestly, I'm lucky to get away with my shirt intact. It's a relief to get to the dais, where they have to ask to step on. The only people allowed on the dais are me, Aniki, and those who I give my permission to.

It was also Happy Bag night, with Beka and Tunstall coming to get it again. I can honestly say that I don't like dealing with Guardswoman Cooper, with those eyes of hers, but Beka, sometimes we can have a short conversation after the Rogue negotiates with the Dogs for the price of the Happy Bag.

I was sitting on the throne, talking with a representative from the Tyran Rogue, who wants me to help him out with a problem with the Tusaine Rogue. I doubt I'd be able to do much in the situation, much less want to risk my neck with Galla for doing something (the Gallans are allied with Tusaine). We were still talking when Beka and Tunstall come in. It's a bit odd to see those two together. Everyone's so used to Tunstall and Goodwin, not Tunstall and Cooper, and Goodwin and Westover.

Tunstall and Cooper (Not Beka, not with those eyes) approached the bar, and started talking to the mad who I had hired as cook and barkeep, Corcoran, while they waited. I wish I could have just gone from what I was doing straight to dealing with the Dogs, but I ignored them, as I was talking to the Tyran representative.

"And that, Lord Piper, is the situation between Tyra and Tusaine." The man had been going on for an hour, explaining exactly how said situation had arisen, and what was going on now. I nodded, thinking about what he had said. Oh, was that boring. The only thing I don't like about being the Rogue is having something like that to deal with. I don't trust the Tyran Rogue. He said a few nasty things to me the only time we met. Something about being an egotistical, high-up snob, if I remember correctly (I do believe that he used harsher words, though).

Corcoran had poured the single glass of wine that I will drink, and was going to signal me, from the look of it, when the door opened with a loud bang. Standing just inside the doorway, looking around curiously was a young woman, about twenty-three or so. Her hair was long, glossy, and a beautiful shade of brown. Eyes of molten gold turned in my direction, but did not meet my gaze. Her face was delicate, her skin a dark shade of ivory. She was pretty, but, in my opinion, not nearly as pretty as Beka. She was slender, with a dancer's physique, and she was all too familiar to me. We had met in Scanra, long before I'd met Kora and Aniki. It had been my first trip to a large city. I'd been sent to retrieve something, and she literally ran into me. We'd hit it off, and gotten to know each other quiet well before we fought when I joined the Rogue. She'd been sent off to live with her aunt (her father's sister) in southern Galla before we could make up. Kashana Ralinsra– Kassie, as she'd had me call her – had been my first love.

It was just then that I heard a joyful shout of 'Rosto!' and every head in the inn - Beka's and Tunstall's included – turned to the source of the noise. It sounded like a pig squealing. Ugh. Even the thought of that sound makes me shudder. Kassie had seen me, and was gleefully skipping (I'm not joking, she was literally skipping) toward the dais.

All I had to do was subtly flick my fingers and Brian stopped her progress, and prevented her from leaping into my arms by putting a firm hold on her. He glanced back at me, waiting for my orders. Kassie's face fell when she saw this. She blinked those golden eyes at me, looking like she was about to cry. I never did like it when she tried that on me. ""I'm busy now Kashana. No, Brian, take her aside and Aniki, be a dear and explain to her how things are done in Corus." I said, more as an order than a question. "Katie, if you could send someone to 'escort' our Tyran friend to his residences in Corus." When Brian led Kassie away, and Aniki stepped off of the dais to do as I'd said, Corcoran coughed and stepped up onto the dais. He's the only one – well, aside from Aniki, that is – who's allowed to come up to my throne without asking. He has permission to do so whenever he needs to, anyway.

He came over to me, placed the glass on the table and whispered into my ear. "The Dogs're here to see you. It's Happy Bag night. Maybe now would be a good time…?" I glanced up at the bar, where Beka, nay, Cooper (Mithros, if I have to think about whether it's Beka or Guardswoman Cooper, and worry about who it is for one more minute, I'm going to scream!) and Tunstall are standing. They were watching me from where they stood at the bar.

"Excellent idea. Lets deal with the Dogs first. Please, Guardsman Tunstall, Guardswoman Cooper. Come up and sit. We've a bit to discuss."

I closed my eyes for a moment before Tunstall and I started negotiating, pushing Rosto away, so that I could be just the Rogue. Rosto would be unfairly biased when dealing with them, so that it had to the Rogue to take care of the Happy Bag negotiations.

"Excellent!" I said (a little overzealously, I will admit) when Tunstall and I settled on a sum that was agreeable to both of us. Beka looked up, as if she was slightly startled for a second. It seems that her mind wandered away from the negotiations that had basically nothing to do with her. She had been watching Aniki give Kassie a lecture, from the looks of it. From the looks she gave me, it looks like I'm going to have some explaining to do.

They left shortly afterwards, and I glanced over to where Aniki stood with Kassie. Aniki still had her hand on her sword, and she looked like she wanted to cut Kassie up. If it wasn't for the fact that we were in MY inn, and not somewhere else, I might have let her. One thing I don't find entertaining at all is dealing with Aniki in a temper. That is most definitely not fun. I nodded to her, and she led Kassie over to stand in front of me, but not on the dais. She made a motion for Kassie to stay where she had put her, and the other mot obeyed sulkily.

"What are you doing here, Kashana?" I asked her, staring into her molten gold eyes.

Kassie tilted her head slightly, apparently hoping that she could lure me in with those eyes of hers. "Rosto, aren't you happy to see me?" She asked, her voice as sweet as she could make it. I licked my lips, pursing them for a moment.

"Does the word 'no' qualify as an answer, Kashana?" I returned, perfectly aware that I was acting as the Rogue, not Rosto, and that my voice was cold and emotionless. Kassie made a face. She hated it when people called her by her full name. All the better for me to get her to leave me alone, I thought. Crossing her arms over her chest, she shifted her weight to one side, and began tapping her foot on my hardwood floors, looking displeased.

"And why not?" She asked, obviously a bit perturbed and annoyed by my answer.

"Because, I'm not." I flicked a finger, and another of my rushers – this one's new and I don't know his name yet - led her away. She cast an angry glance back at me, which I ignored. Kassie glowered at me the whole evening from her spot in the corner.

Beka returned after Evening Watch was over, and glanced briefly at me and Aniki as she walked up the steps. At this point, there was nothing left for either of us to do, so we finished up, and went upstairs. I've also found it nice that all I have to do is go upstairs when Court is over. It's much more convenient than walking all the way across the Lower City .

I heard light footsteps and a chair being moved upstairs when I came in, so I'm going to assume that Beka is back. I'm going to go talk to her after I finish, I know she'll be up for a little while, even after she's finished writing in her journal. Blast it, someone's knocking on my door, and it's not Beka, Aniki, or Kora, judging from the sound of it. If it's who I think it is – and I think it's Kassie – then I'm in trouble. Maybe climbing out the window would work…

An hour or so later

It was Kassie, alright. I got up from writing in my journal and opened the door to see her standing there, looking expectant. "What?" The expression on her pretty face instantly turned into a frown. That most definitely does not flatter her, particularly in the way that her lips already thin lips become a razor thin line.

"You're not going to invite me in?" She asked in an overly dramatic voice, loud enough that I'm sure everyone in the whole inn heard her.

I looked at her, more than just unhappy at that point. "I do not require a doxy's services tonight." Then I slammed the door in her face. I know I was loud, probably as loud as she was, but I honestly don't care. She hasn't changed at all, judging from the impression she's given me tonight.

At that point, the window was a very good idea. It was an even better idea when I thought that she'd never find me if I went to Beka's room. She could bang on my door all night for all I care.

I grabbed my journal - my quill and ink, too, out of courtesy to Beka. She already has to buy her own, why should she buy mine, too? Kassie was already banging on the door when I started for the window.

"Rosto the Piper! I demand an apology!" Her voice was high and shrill enough to hurt my ears.

"Forget it, Kassie." I called back, opening the window enough that I could slip out. As I did so, I hear her banging again. I closed the window behind me, making the evidence of my escape harder to put together. With a sigh, I moved far enough back from the wall that I could easily use the distance to lever myself onto the spit of roof outside of Beka's window on the next floor up.

Beka had her shutters closed, and for good reason, too. Those pigeons are nasty in the morning. One of them – Slapper, I think – bit me ear a couple of days ago when they'd followed her down for breakfast. Stupid birds. Well, at least it didn't go for my earring instead of the top of my ear. That might have been bad…

I knocked on the shutters, only loud enough for her to hear. I heard her chair move, and she opened the shutters a crack. When she saw that it was me, she opened them fully.

"Rosto, what're you doin' out there?" She asked.

"I had an unexpected – and unwelcome – visitor. Kassie's the one making all that noise downstairs." As if right on cue, there was another shriek of 'Rosto the Piper!' came through the floor. I shuddered slightly. "Can I come in?" I asked. Beka nodded, and moved away from the window so that I could slip in. She closed the shutters and went back to her journal, which she wasn't done with, from the looks of it, and that's about where we are right now, with both of us writing in our journals. I can tell from some of the looks that she's shooting me that I've got some explaining to do…oh, joy…


	3. Chapter 3: Scanran Braid

Being an Excerpt from the Journal of Rebakah Cooper  
Provost's Guardswoman, The Lower City, Corus.

August 6, 247— Lunch

It's just after lunch and I figured I'd write about what happened last night. Well, as I was sitting, finishing my journal entry I heard a faint tapping at my window. Normally I don't get pigeons that late and well, I just had to see what the darn birds wanted at my window. I opened it carefully, only to find the pale blonde face of Rosto the Piper hanging from my window sill.

"Rosto, what're you doin' out there?" I asked, moving aside and opening the window wider so he could climb in.

"I had an unexpected – and unwelcome – visitor. Kassie's the one making all that noise downstairs." He said, hauling his narrow dancers body right through my window and landing gently on my floor. He brushed off dust and the few stray feathers. As though to corroborate his statement there was a shrill yell from downstairs. I shuddered.

He sat with me for a few minutes, just writing in his journal as I finished up in mine last night. When we was both done, I decided to ask him who the mot was and why in the name of the Crone was she downstairs. "Must you always pick the shrill ones? We just got rid of the Swan." I complained as I put my journal away.

"I'm sorry. When I first met her, she wasn't nearly so bad. At least, I don't remember her being this shrill." He answered, closing his own journal which, I will take the moment to add, was made with creamy white paper and bound in rich black leather. Etched into the leather in silver leaf, was a five-petaled flower, no stem. Just the flower. Had I seen his journal in a shop, I'd have mocked the man who bought it, for being feminine and weak, but for Rosto it was oddly acceptable.

"Care to explain in more detail? Or will I call her up and sic her on you?" I asked with a wicked grin. Rosto shuddered and explained that he and the mot had been lovers years ago, before he'd met Aniki, Kora, or me and that she had gone to live with family in Galla. "What does she want with you?" I asked.

"Probably the same thing the Swan wanted. Title, Glory, and a specific piece of the Piper" he winked at me, and I knew that he meant _that _piece. "I've no intention of rekindling anything with her, if that's what's makin' you frown."

"Eh?" I said, not even realizing that I had been frowning. "Well, bein' as I'm not the type of mot to get jealous, I'd say the thought hadn't crossed my mind. But I'm glad to hear you aren't taking on more mots." At that point, I got up and walked to my clothes press and put my gear away, slipping into a nightgown.

I knew Rosto was watching me the whole time. Once upon a time, that would have felt awkward. But being as he's seen me in less, well, on the whole it aint awkward anymore. Rosto still had on the Cerulean Shirt I had picked out for him this morning. I crawled into bed, scooching Pounce out from his spot, which was right on top of my pillow. "That there's a fair shirt you've got on" I say with a wink.

He takes the shirt off, throwing it over a chair, and pulls the hair-tie out of his hair, letting loose his blonde hair. Sweet Mother, he looks beautiful when he lets his hair down. "A very interesting woman I know picked it out for me. And thanks to her, I've had to beat away doxies else they'd have ripped it off of me." He smirked wickedly and climbed into the bed with me.

"Small wonder Aniki looked ready to chop someone up when I came back" I laughed, snuggling into his side, which made Rosto smile. He put one arm on my shoulders and the other around my waist, kissing my forehead. After we both got comfortable I asked, "What did the Tyran want?"

"Is this an interrogation?" He asked, mock-affronted but he held me closer so I knew he weren't mad.

"Go on, throw me a bone, so when Goodwin interrogates me tomorrow, I've got sommat to tell her." I tell him tiredly, remembering for the moment that I've got two Dogs who are gonna want to know whatever I can tell them.

"Some boring 'dignitary' who needs the fiscal aid of, yours truly," he bragged with a wave of his hand, which he immediately returned to my shoulders, "I figure I'll just tell him sommat about being too new in my throne to be waging wars with other Rogues, being as I'm still dealing with all the Tortallan ones. Though, they seem to like me enough, especially after how we handled Rogue Lockhorn. But don't tell anyone that." Rosto whispered. When we're in bed together, we try and keep quiet, mainly acos Aniki's next door, and though she don't care about my sleep when she's bedding Phelan, Rosto and I keep our voices down, acos she's right cross if she don't get her sleep. "Beka, lass?" Rosto asked while my mind wandered. "You all right? You seem distant."

"I'm sorry Rosto, it's just been an exhausting day." I tell him, kissing the area where is jaw meets his neck. "Governor Edgan called me a doxy today." Its part of my underlying problem.

"Edgan?" he asks, sitting up sharply, annoyed. "Why that idiot. He's a sore loser Beka, he lost a lot tonight. Though why he's calling a Dog a Doxy, I'll never know." Rosto settled back down and hugged me tighter.

"He dinna call me a Doxy directly, I was just 'that-trollop-that-calls-herself-a-Dog.' It's just a bit annoying, I've been called the Rogue's Dog, or the Dog's Doxy or the Rogue's Doxy or some combination of those." It's not so much that I care, but it's hurtful, and it makes me angry.

"I'm sorry Beka. If it helps, I've gotten equally nasty remarks from my own people. Some of 'em call me the Kennel Spintry or that the only reason I'm Rogue, is because the Dogs take care of things for me, least the Lady Dogs do." He placed a kiss on my temple, then on the bridge of my nose, than a feather soft-kiss on the mouth. "Folk'll shut up eventually. We ignore 'em in the meantime." I'm comforted by his voice more than anything, because I know he ain't giving up on us and it makes me feel better.

"What did you eat for supper?" I ask, for lack of anything better to talk about. He smiled and kissed my mouth again. He tasted of peaches. I pulled back. "Cookie made Cobbler? Is there any left-over?"

"Aye," he laughed, hugging me tighter. "I asked him to save you some for breakfast tomorrow. I take it you ate with your Dogs?" I nod. "Mantel and Pullet?" he asks and I nod again. "How is their ale?"

"Tunstall and Goodwin say it's good and the man brags that it's the best in Corus. Though, in my opinion, he makes it too thick. I've tried the ale at the Red Rose, it's nicer. Just as tasty, but not thick as mud. Why?"

"I've got wine, beer, whiskey, and a few non-alcoholic drinks like Barley Water and Lemonade. All that's left is Ale." He murmurs, his hand going through my hair, and gently combing through the knots with his fingers.

"Then go for the Red Rose. She makes enough to sell, and her kitchen is cleaner. Besides, the mot that makes it is a right dear, and not so vain as the owner at the Mantel and Pullet." I tell Rosto and he nods a mental note of it. "G'night Rosto" I whisper when I can't keep my eyes open no more, giving him a swift kiss. Rosto murmurs and we fall asleep.

This morning we woke because Pounce had stuck his nose in Rosto's ear, which had woken him up faster than if you'd poured ice water on him. He rubbed a finger in his ear and glared at Pounce. I woke a moment afterward, shoving Rosto and Pounce so I could get out.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled, stumbling over to my washstand, so he could brush his teeth. I put on my regular day-clothes, sticking a solid dagger in my boot, and threw Rosto a shirt. He had several clean, common shirts in my clothes press, so when we walked downstairs into the Dove for breakfast, people wouldn't ask questions.

We figured, if folk see him (or me) in a shirt that's different from the one we was wearing yesterday, they'll figure we each woke up in our own rooms, and that I just woke him up early. So far, it works. Sure, there's folk that gossip that I've been bedding the Rogue, but if Goodwin had been sleeping upstairs of Rosto, they'd say she was bedding the Rogue. Most don't believe their own gossip, which makes me laugh, acos, well, technically their gossip is true.

We take the stairs together and come to the landing for Rosto's floor. Asleep against his doorframe is Kashana. Her knuckles bruised from all the extra knocking. Rosto slips down the stairs. Fine. I'll handle the mot. I walk over and give a _bang! _on the door with my fist. Kashana jerks awake. "Rosto! You in there?" I call loudly and pretend to get mad acos he's not answering. Kashana stands up.

"Don't do that! You shouldn't disturb his sleep." She mutters angrily at me.

"You was the one who was bellering at him t'open the door all night." I cross my arms and give her a stare. "Civilians aren't allowed on these floors. What are you doing here?" I say in my sternest Dog voice.

"Waiting for Rosto" she sniffs at me, like it ain't my business. _It is my business you Doxy, he's my man. _I think, growling.

"ROSTO!" I bang on his door one more time, "If you're in bed, covers up!" and open the door roughly. Obviously, the room is empty, but Kashana rushes in ahead of me.

"He isn't here!" she cries. Her face goes from upset to angry in seconds. "Where could he go? I was at his door all night. He never opened it! Where is he?!"

"Well, you were just asleep. Slick little spintry could've walked past and you'd never have known. But, he could have also scaled the wall down into the kitchen courtyard. It's not a long way down," She runs to the window as I say this, and I put a hand on her shoulder, a grip like iron, and point her out of Rosto's room. _Only mot allowed in here is me. And Aniki, if it's Rogue business. Otherwise just me. _

"BUT WHY?!" she cries loudly as I close the door, "DOESN'T HE LOVE ME ANYMORE!?!" She's yelling angrily. Next door down, I hear a small explosion and upstairs, there's a thud as someone falls out of bed._Pox, now she's gone and woken Aniki and Kora, and they'll both be right cross. _

"Dinna know, dinna care" I point towards the stairs. Kashana starts swearing angrily, in fluent Scanran, which agitates me. She isn't doing what I'm telling her to do, and in my head, Guardswoman Cooper has got her hackles up and a scowl on. "OI! Listen here you little trollop!" I bark, fully annoyed with the mot, "I said earlier that these floors ain't for civilians. And twice I've told you t' go down the stairs."

She continues swearing in Scanran and glances at me, furious. "_INSOLENCE!" _ I bark at her, "Now you're swearing up a storm, in Scanran no less. If I have to tell you to go one more time, I'll go up and get my cords out and so help me, I will march you to the Kennel myself for disturbing the King's Peace. Just acos I ain't in uniform don't mean I can't arrest you! Now beat it mot! Floor's off-limits." I give her my ice eyes and she shudders and storms angrily down the stairs. "Tha's more like it." I mutter.

There's an annoyed muttering from Kora's room and I know she's talking to Ersken. "You couldn't have given her a quiet warning. No. You had to yell at her." Ersken mutters, as though I can't hear him.

A wicked thought crosses my mind and I give his door a loud smack. "ERSKEN! Unless you and Kora are making puppies, out of bed, lad! No point grumbling!" There's a small scream and I can hear a roar of laughter from upstairs.

Ersken opens the door, cross. "Your worse than Goodwin. Lad can't sleep in the morning with you around."

"You say that like it's bad" I ruffle his hair and skip down the stairs. "Breakfast in five and I'm eating it whether you're there or not." And just acos I know Ersken better than anyone, "And I'm not saving you nothing. Now haul out." Ersken grumbles and closes the door with a snap. Kashana is gone, Cookie is downstairs with his kitchen girls, and Rosto is seated at a table, helping himself to a meat-pasty. I take a bite out of his pasty, than pull the last cobbler to me. Yum.

"Where did that mot go?" I ask Cookie, who no doubt watched her leave.

"Told her Rosto had a girl once, pretty as can be, who lived over on Koskynen Street." Says Cookie, pulling a roll for himself. "Didn't quite mention he hadn't seen the mot in nigh on a month, but ah, she didn't stay long enough for it." We sit down to breakfast, with Kora and Ersken coming down first. Kora keeps shooting Ersken nasty looks and glaring at him, and Ersken keeps giving her a look that says 'not now.' Aniki and Phelan make it down, and we're having a right good bit of fun when someone opens the door.

"He's not there!" wails Kashana. "OH ROSTO! THERE YOU ARE LOVIEE!" she goes flying towards him, and Phelan is on his feet faster than blinking. _Good Rusher, _I think as he grabs a firm hold on Kashana. Ye Gods! The mot is strong.

"Oy, you can't just go running up at the King of the Rogue," Phelan hisses, trying to pull her back. Kashana ain't listening to Phelan. All she sees is Rosto.

"Let Go! You bully," she scratches Phelan and he gives a yelp: her scratches drew blood. She's about to throw herself at Rosto, who's so stunned he can't move when Ersken and I step in her way. "You're standing in the way of me and my true love. Now move please!" she squeals and swats at me and Ersken. Ersken gets one look at me and blocks her way further.

"Kashana. I told you, I don't want you." Says Rosto standing up gracefully. Mithros, the man is as graceful as a cat. Right, where was I? Ah yes. Well, I take one look at Rosto and see it is Rosto talking, but he's so cold in his speech, that I would've sworn he was playing Rogue. "I've got mots, lovers, and doxies up to my ears. Many of them sweet, pretty, and smart. I've got one mot, sings like a lark, sweet as can be. Another, she's shy around strangers, but a right little kitten when my hands is on her, and another with eyes so blue, the Wave Walker herself would envy them. What makes you think I'd want you?"

What everyone in the house knows, is that all three mots that Rosto mentioned, are one mot. Namely me. If I wasn't standing guard like a good Dog, I would've flushed with his comments. But they don't deter Kashana.

"But I came all the way from Scanra to be with you. So we could be perfect together. I don't care about the others, you can have as many lovers as you want, but I'll be your first. Just as long as you tell me you love me, like all those years ago." She simpers sweetly. Really, what will it take?

Rosto shudders and I wonder what made him do that. _All those years ago. Like they was old or sommat. Well, if you wanna strike his vanity._But he opens his eyes and I see the Rogue and I stumble backwards. "Kashana," he says, his voice going icily hard. "I came all the way from the Polar Ice-Caps to be Rogue. I will not have you riding Coat-tails. I have my Queen and I do not need you. Get. Out." He blinks again, and he's Rosto, but he's still angry.

"But, but, but…" stutters Kashana and then breaks into tears. Loud tears. Fake loud tears. Her presence is making it hard for me to enjoy my breakfast in peace and I let Guardswoman Cooper handle it.

"ENOUGH!" I bark. "Ersken, hand me your hobbles. I told you, mot, you disturb the Kings Peace, and I'll haul you down to the Kennel myself." I can feel Ersken place the hobbles in my hands. I grab for Kashana and she dances out of my way. "No one baits the Terrier this early in the morning. C'mere Rat." I growl, lunging at her waist, which brings her crashing to the floor. She grabs hold of my hair, which is in a regular braid, no spike-trap and pulls. Gods, I hate the way mots fight. My hair tie snaps and she's got a fistful of my hair in her claws. I send by elbow into her jaw and she lets go with a cry of pain, and runs for the door.

"I'll leave, but I'll come back Rosto, darling. When there's no yucky Dogs around." She says sweetly from the door. I growl at her, and she swallows noticeably, rubbing her chin. "I won't give up on you Rosto, and I forgive you for giving up on me! I love you!" She blows him a kiss and is out the door. Ersken gives me a hand and helps me up off the floor.

"How you doing, Terrier?" asks Ersken, helping me straighten out some.

"Lousy," I growl. "She's gone and ruined my breakfast, and I need to go upstairs for a new hair tie." I continue to grumble and curse that Kashana woman, occasionally lapsing into swears in Scanran, which I learned from Rosto. Being as Scanran sounds like wolves growling, I think it works well for an angry Dog.

"BEKA! Watch your mouth!" says Kora, shocked at my choice of language. "Who taught you to speak like that?!" She sounds like Mya when I had sworn a round and bloody oath at a pigeon who had bitten me near right through the ear. All indignant at my bad words.

"Blame Rosto." I grumble, sitting down. Rosto comes up behind me, putting his hands on my shoulders. At first, he's just resting them there, but I give him a minute, and soon he's rubbing my shoulders. "Oh, forget what I said. Gods all bless you, Rosto."

"There now, lady-love," murmurs Rosto in my ear, making me shiver. "You gone and trounced her proper." I grumble something about not being able to take her to the kennel. "Now now, only a lady after me- own heart could have walloped her like that. Go on, lass. Calm yerself." I inhale deeply and exhaled loudly. "Don't frown, lass. Here, I've got a spare hair tie."

And with that, he sets to work braiding my hair. At first its odd, because I usually don't let folk touch my hair. Like I've said, I keep it long as my one vanity. So not just anyone can run their hands through it. But Rosto's got those long monkey-fingers, and he works them through my hair, massaging my scalp and it makes my tension just about disappear. When he starts braiding it, I'm confused because it ain't a braid I recognize.

He starts at the top of my head, splits a smallish chunk of hair into three parts, then as he braids, he pulls in hair from the sides of my head, each time adding to the piece that he plaits over. When he's done, he ties it all up nice and neat with a hair tie he keeps 'round his wrist, and my hair is braided in tight, and it looks rather a bit like fish bones going down.

I didn't know Rosto knew how to do hair like this, but now as I think back on it: of course he knows to braid hair. His is near as long as mine! And he had sisters, he probably did it for them, and Aniki and Kora besides. I feel the braid and am pleased with the way it's done. Tight to the head, leaving no pieces for weird folk to grab hold of.

Looking up at him, I smile and say "Thanks Rosto. This was nice of you." He leans down and puts a kiss in my cheek.

"For you, love." He's smiling so sweet and I can't help but love him in that moment. Kora sighs, like a love-struck girl.

Aniki gives Phelan a_whack_ on the head, "Why can't you be that sweet?" she asks him, a goofy smile on her face.

"I was sweet to you last night. Now can we please enjoy our breakfast?" Phelan mutters, and we get back to eating properly.

After that, I brought some mending downstairs and Kora and I worked on it together while Rosto played his pipe for us. Phelan was going over some reports with Aniki, and Cookie has already gone to prepare dinner for the Dove tonight. Rosto's invited the proprietor of the Red Rose to visit him tonight at Court, and she's agreed to come by and talk business about the ale. An eventful morning, if a slow day.

* * *

Author's Note: FYI, the braid Rosto did for Beka is a french braid, but for all intents and purposes, it is hereforth called a Scanran Braid. And Rosto hid in the Kitchen. Lioness's Heart's Chapter is next, from Rosto's perspective.

---Lady Wolf---


	4. Chapter 4: Threat

Excerpt from the Journal of Rosto the Piper  
King of the Rogue, the Lower City , Corus

August 6, 247

Oy, Kassie's getting on my nerves, no, that's an understatement. She's testing my last nerve, now. The little trollop thinks she can just waltz in, kick Aniki out of her spot, and blackmail me!

This morning, I was woken to a very cold cat nose being stuck in my ear. You can't imagine what it's like to have a cat stick its nose in your ear. It's cold like a dog's nose, but without the wetness, and Pounce's whiskers tickled. It'll pull you right out of whatever dream you're having about yourself and your ice-eyed lady-love. Pounce's nose being stuck in your ear is not pleasant, to say the least. I about swore at him for doing that. Beka woke within a few seconds and shoved me and her constellation cat and got up.

Beka and I headed downstairs to find Kassie slumped against my doorframe. Judging from the bruises visible on her knuckles, she'd been rapping on the door for quite a while after I'd left the room. I slipped past quietly so as not to wake her. I heard Beka sigh as I retreated down the stairs. She'll call me a coward for running away from the problem, but Kassie isn't one of those problems that I wanted to handle so early in the morning. I heard a bang on the wood of the door right as I reached the bottom of the steps. I heard Beka say my name loudly as she banged on the door again. After a few short moments, Kassie's shrill voice echoed through the entire building.

"BUT WHY? DOESN'T HE LOVE ME ANYMORE!?!" The bang of a small explosion sounded through the floor. Kassie had woken Kora. I hoped she hadn't hit the door. That would have been an embarrassing situation for her and Ersken, and both Beka and Kassie, as well. And I'd have to replace the door, then. I learned a long time ago not to wake Kora from a sound sleep without standing well away from her. She's mighty good with those fire spells…

Undoubtedly, she'd woken Aniki and Phelan on the next floor up, too. There's a cry of 'OI!' in Beka's voice, and after a moment, another shout from said Dog. "INSOLENCE!" Time to hide. Part of my brain was yelling at me that it was cowardly to hide, but I figured that Beka was trying to kick Kassie out, and dove behind the counter and ducked into the kitchen, just in time, too. Corcoran didn't even bat an eyelash when he saw me lunge into the kitchen – he just kept setting up for breakfast. By Kyprioth, I'm so glad I hired that man. Kassie stomped down the steps within seconds. I peeked out, making sure she couldn't see me, and watched for a few minutes. She stopped, standing in the middle of the Dove, then walks over to my throne and sits down, testing the chair. If it hadn't been for the fact that I was trying to avoid her, I would have exploded at her for that. No one sits on my throne but me, well, and Beka if she wishes to when no one else is there. I wanted to walk up to her and roughly kick her off the platform for that. I might have, too, if Corcoran hadn't spotted her and spoken up.

"His majesty isn't goin' to like you sittin' on his throne, lass. I'd get off if I were you and I valued my life." I ducked back behind the doorway as she walked closer. Did I mention how much I like this man? Well, there it is again.

"Do you know where he's gone? Where Rosto is?" She asked hopefully.

Corcoran looked thoughtful for a moment. He put a dish on the counter between the bar and the kitchen, where one of his girls would pick it up to wash, and met my eyes. I shook my head, and he turned back to face Kassie. "Well, I don't rightly know, but he had a lass over on Koskynen Street, pretty little thing. Kyprish, I think. Gold skin and the like. Pretty, she was. He may have gone there after Court last night," he said.

"Kyprish?!" she scoffed, "Why would he go after some jungle monkey when he could have me?" I was sore tempted to say that I didn't need a shrieking ice princess after said jungle monkey, but mind you, I was in the kitchen. Out of sight.

She didn't say anything more, but I heard retreating footsteps as she fled in search of the street Corcoran had mentioned. He'd told her of the Golden Swan, who I haven't gone to see since June, at the latest.

Right then, I heard Beka raise her voice again. This time it was Ersken who she was yelling at. "ERSKEN! Unless you and Kora are making puppies, out of bed lad! No point grumbling!" She'd yelled. Puppies? Now, I know Ersken's a bit of a joker, but even he wouldn't have children without talking about it first. But now that I mention it, he and Kora have been arguing about sommat. Worth investigating. Later. I could hear Phelan and Aniki laughing at what she said from two floors down. I will admit that it was funny.

I got up from my hiding spot and wandered over to the table that had breakfast things set on it. I seated myself and dug into one of the meat pasties just as Beka came down the steps. She stole a bit of the pasty, and I gave her a look of mock indignation, then a grin. She pulled the plate of cobbler over to her and starts eating that.

"Where'd the mot go?" She asked Corcoran.

"Told her Rosto had a girl once, pretty as can be, who lived over on Koskynen Street ," he told her. "Didn't quite mention he hadn't seen the mot in nigh on a month, but ah, she didn't stay long enough for it."

Kora and Ersken came down first, Kora shooting dark looks at Ersken, whose only reply is giving her 'not now' looks. I wonder what happened…

I was extremely tempted to bring up the puppies comment, but I thought better of it. If Kora had blown the door apart (again), she probably had enough magic at her fingertips to send a fire spell after me. That would be bad...Considering that what my vanities are, and the fact that hair, my greatest vanity, is flammable…Bad idea. Very bad idea. It took me long enough to grow it out to the length that it is, and I don't like the way I look with short hair…Therefore, I wasn't, and am still not, going to bother Kora about her personal life.

Aniki and Phelan appeared not too long after Kora and Ersken. We were having a good time when the door opened again.

"He's not there!" Kassie wailed shrilly. "OH, ROSTO! THERE YOU ARE LOVIEE!" She flies towards me, looking as gleeful as last night when she spotted me on my throne. Phelan was on his feet and in front of her in the blink of an eye. He grabbed Kassie before she could throw herself at me. She clawed at him, while he prevented her from coming any closer.

"Oy, you can't just go running up at the King of the Rogue," he told her, trying to pull her away. She didn't want to listen to him, she had her molten gold gaze fixed on me.

"Let go! You bully!" She scratched Phelan with her long nails and he yelped, his hand whipping to the bloody cuts she'd made, and she pushed past him. I was just sort of stunned, in the sense that I didn't understand why she was being so thick. I had made it perfectly clear that I wanted nothing to do with her, and she hadn't given up. She was about to throw herself on me when Beka and Ersken stepped in front of her. That was a relief, even if it only lasted long enough for me to come to my senses. (I can't think of any other way to put it.)

"You're standing in the way of me and my true love. Now move, please!" She swatted at Ersken. She just wasn't going to take no for an answer. I took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Kashana. I told you, I don't want you," I said. I stared straight into her eyes, and made my voice as cold as if I was the Rogue. Rosto never really scared her much, when we were back in Scanra. Now, the Patsov, the Scanran Rogue, she was terrified of. He'd always been able to strike fear in her. I figured if I could imitate him enough, she would realize that I was serious. She was plucking at my temper, and she knew it, that much I could see in her eyes. "I've got mots, lovers, and doxies up to my ears. Many of them sweet, pretty, and smart. I've got one mot, sings like a lark, pure as can be." And just because the Piper used to be the kind of man who enjoyed lots of women, I added, "Another, she's shy around strangers, but a right little kitten when my hands is on her, purring sweetly only for me. And another with eyes so blue, the Wave Walker herself would envy them. What makes you think I'd want you?"

Of course, everyone in the house except for Kassie knew that all three of the mots I mentioned were Beka. Really, the fighting in my head about whether she's Guardswoman Cooper, or the Terrier, or Beka, my sweet Beka, well, it makes me think of her as more than one mot. Sometimes. But Kassie don't know that, so it's plausible, in a sense.

"But I came all the way from Scanra to be with you. So we could be perfect together. I don't care about the others, you can have as many lovers as you want, but I'll be your first. Just as long as you tell me you love, like all those years ago," she said.

What was she nattering on about, perfect together, and ALL THOSE YEARS AGO? Now hold on a moment. It weren't that long ago. What does she mean by 'all those years ago'? That's really the way to get me to say that I love her again. I hate it when people say I have white hair, and I hate it when people think I'm old! I'm only twenty-three!

I shuddered, thinking of the last time I'd seen her. I closed my eyes briefly, shifting to the Rogue. She asked for it, if she wouldn't listen to Rosto, she'd listen to the Rogue. He runs all the Lower City folk, be they newcomers or not. He would be able to handle it better than Rosto anyway, since he had no connection to Kassie, while I do.

"Kashana, I came all the way from the Polar Ice-Caps to be Rogue. I will not have you riding coat-tails. I have my Queen and I do not need you. Get. Out." When it's me as Rogue, it's like Rosto is sitting in the corner of my brain, just checking, or not listening at all. If Rosto ain't careful over in the back of my head, the Rogue starts to yank at his bit, and if he takes control, things get nasty. Real nasty. I could feel the Rogue pull back after that, and I was just Rosto again, but my temper was still blazing.

"But, but, but…" Her gold eyes were huge, and she was trying that pleading look again. Then she broke into tears. They were crocodile tears, it's easy to tell. She was faking it to get pity from either me or the others.

"ENOUGH! Ersken, hand me your hobbles. I told you, mot, you disturb the King's Peace, and I'll haul you down to the Kennel myself," Beka said. Ersken handed her the cords, and she lunged at Kassie. "No one baits the Terrier this early in the morning. C'mere Rat." I knew Beka was serious at that point, acos she don't usually call herself the Terrier. I think she should call herself the Bloodhound, which is far more impressive, but I digress from the battle at hand. Beka lunged and Kassie fell over when Beka lunged. She grabbed Beka's braid and pulled. That was low. I hate the way mots fight, if they ain't trained fighters like Aniki and her lot. For regular mots, there's a lot of hair pulling and clawing with nails I would swear they sharpen. If Kassie had tried that with me, she would have regretted it. The only person who touched my hair besides me is Beka (Her hair is Beka's only vanity, just like it is mine. Okay, so I actually have several vanities, but my hair is the main one. Still, I don't think she likes it much when people grab it). Beka's hair tie snapped, and went flying. Beka jammed her elbow into Kassie's chin, and Kassie yelped. I wanted to cheer when I heard the nice smack sound that made. GO BEKA! Quickly, Kassie freed herself and escaped to the door, where she paused.

"I'll leave, but I'll come back, Rosto, darling. When there's no yucky Dogs around." Her voice was too sweet for comfort. Beka growled at her, and Kassie swallowed and rubbed her chin. "I won't give up on you Rosto, and I forgive you for giving up on me! I love you!" She blew me a kiss from the doorway before she disappeared. I hated it when she did that before, and I hate it even more now. Must she torment me?

I glanced at Beka, who was being helped from the floor by Ersken. "How you doing, Terrier?" He asked.

"Lousy," Beka replied, her voice a low growl that showed her dislike for Kassie. "She's gone and ruined my breakfast, and I need to go upstairs for a new hair tie." She started muttering curses at Kassie under her breath, switching to some of the Scanran swear words that I'd accidentally taught her. "Dzubrije mala, kurvica, nevjerovatnija," which meant, to put it mildly, the dirty little tramp, unbelievable.

"BEKA! Watch your mouth!" Kora exclaimed with a shocked look on her face. "Who taught you to speak like that?!" Kora's eyes flicked to Aniki, then me before Beka replied.

"Blame Rosto." Kora gave me a look that said 'why-did-you-do-that-Rosto?' I just shrugged and moved over to where Beka had sat down again. I placed my hands on her shoulders, just to reassure her. I could feel the tension laced through her muscles after that little fight with Kassie. I waited another minute or so, then started massaging her tense shoulders. She couldn't help it: she did indeed start to purr, in her own non-cat-like Beka-way. I was right, purrs like a kitten when MY hands are on her. "Oh, gods all bless you, Rosto," she moaned as I rub a knot in her right shoulder.

"There now, lady-love, you gone and trounced her proper," I whispered in her ear. She shivered and grumbled something. "Now, now, only a lady after me- own heart could have walloped her like that. Go on, lass. Calm yerself." She took a deep breath and let it out, making a noise that sounded greatly like a sigh. "Don't frown, lass. Here, I've got a spare hair tie."

I started braiding her hair for her, so that she wouldn't have to go all the way back up to her room to do that and get another hair tie, even if I already had one. I started braiding at the top, using a style of Scanran braid that my sister always liked – the simplest style there is. I tied it off with the spare hair tie that I kept around my wrist for occasions like that. Well, maybe not like what had happened, but for times when the one I was using snapped.

Beka turned in her seat and looked up at me with a smile. "Thanks, Rosto. This was nice of you."

I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "For you, love," I told her. I couldn't help but smile at her. Kora sighed like a love-struck girl, her eyes flicking to Ersken.

Aniki, on the other hand, got violent, and whacked Phelan over the head. "Why can't you be that sweet?" She asked him, a goofy smile on her face.

"I was sweet to you last night. Now can we please enjoy our breakfast?" He muttered. Didn't quite need to know that, but still, it made us laugh a bit. Breakfast went back to normal after that.

After we were all done, Beka ran upstairs to get some mending, which she and Kora worked on together for a while, and I pulled out Callingbird and started playing for them. Phelan and Aniki went over some reports, and Corcoran had already started putting dinner together for tonight. After a little while, I ran over to the Red Rose to see if I could get owner of the inn to come and discuss a business agreement about the ale.

Thankfully, Kassie didn't show up until later, but I still had a few other things to deal with before her, anyway…

Everything was normal until around the middle of Court, as usual. Then three things happened at once. The Tyran walked up to the platform, Kassie appeared out of nowhere, and the mot who owns the Red Rose came through the door. Two out of three of those people were among those who I didn't want to talk to. I made a quick motion to Brian, who stepped up to the throne instantly.

"Keep Kashana entertained," I told him. He nodded and went to head her off. The Tyran watched me expectantly. I got Katie's attention, and flicked my eyes in the direction of the Tyran. She would either take care of him herself, or find someone else to occupy him until I could. That left me to take care of my business.

That in itself went fairly quickly. The mot who owns the Red Rose goes by Soraya Turner, and, as Beka said, she's very agreeable. She walked up to the platform, and I nodded to her. A flick of my fingers and Darec, another of my newer rushers, brought a chair to the platform. Mistress Turner stepped up to the table and seated herself in the chair.

"Now, Master Piper, this morning you said that you wanted to set up a business agreement between the Red Rose and the Dancing Dove?" She asked. I nodded, thinking briefly of the price I had in mind. "What is your proposition, then? Turner is a very direct mot, to say the least.

"I've been told that your ale is some of the best in Corus, and that you make enough to sell. My proposition is that you sell me what extra you make that isn't tied up elsewhere for a price that works for both of us," I said.

She tilted her head slightly. "And what was the price that you had in mind?"

"Six silvers a keg," I told her. It was a low sum for a cask of ale, but I figured that haggling might bring it to the price I wanted. Her eyebrows shot up.

"Six silvers? Mighty low, don't you think, Master Rogue?" She asked. I shrugged. "Eighteen per keg."

"Ten," for a keg, I could see some of the pile of coins that the Dove made disappear. Drat the mot.

"Sixteen," she said quietly, "I brew all my own ale, with a secret recipe my mother gave me. I wouldn't go and insult her memory, by selling her ale cheap." Hmph. Secret family recipe my left foot. It's just made in a clean kitchen.

"Ten." I repeated, hoping she wouldn't repeat the same price she did.

"Fourteen." Merciful Mother, thank you! I'm getting her where I want her.

"Twelve."

"Thirteen, or no deal. It is, after all, some of the best ale in Corus. Made with a special recipe that the scut in the Mantel and Pullet would kill to get his grimy mitts on."

I almost smiled when she said this. I sighed, "Fine." It was a good price, particularly considering how popular her ale is..

She smiled smugly at me while I pulled out the contract I'd had drawn up. Always get it in writing. Then they can't double cross you. That was one of the first business lessons I learned. She read over the contract, watched me fill in what needed to be filled in, and sign it. I passed the paper which she skimmed over again before she signed. "It was good doing business with you, Master Rogue." She nodded to me, then walked away.

With that done, I glanced at Katie, who was entertaining the Tyran emissary. A very subtle nod caught her attention. She then brought the Tyran over to my throne. I had him come up to stand close to the throne, so that only he and Aniki heard me.

"I have considered what you have told me, concerning your problems with Tusaine and Galla. With much thought, I have decided that I cannot help you." The man frowned, regarding me with cautious eyes. "I am too new to my throne for the other Tortallan Rogues to trust me enough to be willing to go to war with the Tusaine and Gallan Rogues. I am sorry that I cannot help you, and that your time here is wasted. Good day." I turned my attention away from him, making it clear that I was done with the matter and that I would not change my mind.

The man nodded. "Thank you for your consideration, Lord Piper." He turned and left again. That was a relief. The Tyran matter had been taken care of, as had my little business arrangement.

When everything started to die down, I stopped paying attention to most things, except for the conversation that Brian was having with Kassie. That was actually interesting, particularly compared to staring at the wall or ceiling, which were my other options. Their conversation had worked its way to having me as the subject. Not the smartest move on Brian's part. "He's a quick sp-"

"Brian, if you even think about finishing that sentence, it's straight back into the Olorun for you." He turned. His face was very pale, and his eyes were huge. I don't think he has any good memories of the time I threw him into the Olorun River for calling me a spintry.

"Yes, sir," he said, his eyes still very wide. Aniki giggled. I turned to glare at her.

"Why is that funny?" I asked her. She just grinned.

"Because it is, that's why. I know you too well, Rosto. Throwing Brian into the Olorun was something that only you would think of doing." I rolled my eyes at her, and went back to staring at the wall.

Kassie tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes watching me. "Rosto, can I talk to you? Alone?" I sighed, and nodded.

"Fine. Come on." I got up and led her to the back courtyard. "What do you want, Kashana?" She made a face in reaction to my use of her full name.

"Rosto, why must you use that name? Can't you call me Kassie, like you used to?" She asked, her bright gold eyes almost pleading. The tone she used was irritating. Just high pitched enough that it bothered me. I wonder if she knows exactly how irritating she's been. I glared at her. That was answer enough for her. Kassie's expression changed. Her eyes turned hard and dark. A frown creased her smooth dark ivory skin. "Rosto, do you know what I want you to do?" She said, trying to sound all seductive and sultry. Not working. I don't take to being seduced. "Make me Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue." Her tone was venomous, and it shocked me a little. I didn't let it show, though. I couldn't. I could feel the Rogue trying to take over anyway.

"Or you'll what? I have no good reason to make you Queen of the Rogue. Aniki does the job just fine." I answered in my most logical and reasonable voice. To think, she was reasonable once.

"Is that dirty little Dog reason enough?" She said with a falsely sweet voice. I froze.

"Dog? What does Beka have anything to do with you being Queen of the Rogue?" What did she know? Was it only all the local gossip, or had she seen something?

"Make me Queen of the Rogue or I'll tell all of Corus about you and Cooper. I'll tell everyone that you and that Dog are together and that you love her."

Thoughts whirled in my head. How had she found out about me and Beka? The only people who know are the ones who live in the inn with us. Well, and the Lord Provost, from what Beka's told me. That makes it Aniki, Phelan, Kora, Ersken, and Corcoran. How had she found out, I wondered.

I had the options of denying it, confirming it, or doing neither. "What do you mean, Kashana?" I asked, trying to push the Rogue, as well as my rising temper away.

She gave me an unamused look. "I saw you braid her hair this morning. You kissed her," she said quietly. "You promised me, Rosto. You said you'd love me forever. I want my forever." There was hurt deep down in her eyes when she realized something, but only for a second. It disappeared beneath the golden ice. "You really love her."

"That may or may not be true. Why should I do anything you want me to do?" That was more Rogue than Rosto. Kassie narrowed her eyes.

"If you don't make me Queen of the Rogue, and show people that I'm Queen of the Rogue for a reason, than I will do as I said I would, and tell the world that the Rogue is in love with a Dog. Judging just from the fact that you and Cooper are on opposite sides of the law, I don't think that either of you would be happy. So save her the trouble, dump her, and come back to me. You know I still love you. And I know deep down that you still love me." My mind was reeling: I was of half the mind to beat her senseless for threatening me, and Beka: no one threatens Beka. Another part of me was nauseous. I almost wanted to throw up after her little speech. She knew what she wanted, and she knew how to get it.

I took a deep breath, trying not to let my temper get the best of me. "I will think about it. Give me a few days, and you'll have your answer." She smirked after I said that. Maybe I could ask Beka to arrest her or sommat. Bad idea. If she's arrested she'll just talk faster. Ugh. More problems.

"Alright. Two days, or I'll tell. Remember that, Rosto. Remember that." She leaned in to kiss me and I jerked back. She smiled in a wicked, I-have-you sort of way and walked away, leaving me standing there, trying not to bellow at her that she would never get what she wanted.

After a moment, I stomped back into the Dove, to my throne and sat down with a thump. I glared at the wall. No one dared to come near me. Aniki did, however, lean over to ask me what was wrong.

"Kashana," I spat. After Kassie had gone to some aunt in Galla, Aniki had been the next one. I still loved Aniki like she was family, but we weren't bed friends, which worked out fine. If she ever needed me, me Rosto me, well, I would always help her.

"Leave the Ladies of the Rogue, to the Queen of the Rogue," was all she'd said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. She's a good mot. Whether she's Aniki or whether she's Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue.

I was in a horrid mood for the rest of the night at Court. One thing worries me. I didn't see Beka come back before I came upstairs, and I haven't heard her going up the stairs, and it's getting late.

* * *

AN: Yes. Cliffhanger. (LW says: Blame Lioness, she was in charge for this chapter) ... but yeah. How bout we give Lioness's Heart some props, because seriously, this thing was nine single spaced pages long. Yeah. You read that right, nine. So leave a review!

---Lady Wolf---  
(And Lioness's Heart)


	5. Chapter 5: Shadows

Being and Excerpt from the journal of Rebakah Cooper,  
Provost's Guardswoman, The Lower City. Corus.

Writ after watch.

Well, I went out with both my Dogs tonight. First Goodwin, then Tunstall. Each Watch had its high points. I'll start with my Goodwin Watch.

We were in the Nightmarket, and had brushed away a crowd of chatterboxes who had decided to pounce on Gemma Knoll's stall. They still weren't too happy with her family from the whole Shadow Snake thing but, we managed to disperse some of the malcontents. Early on in the evening it ain't so bad in the Nightmarket. It's usually when I go into the Nightmarket with Tunstall when things get messy.

One of Goodwin's birdies had come up to her, to tell her about some missing children that had disappeared last week. I was only half listening, children go missing in the Lower City all the time, but this just sounded like regular slavers. I found it odd that most of the missing children were little boys, but there's them as like boys for servants. I had wandered over to the butchers stall and there was our Tyran dignitary to the Rogue, chatting with some river-dodger.

The butcher was a man I knew from when I was little, and Pounce jumped up onto his counter, meowing for scraps. The butcher told me to "come around, lass, and collect this cat" giving me a space behind the counter, so I could hear what the Tyran and the River dodger were talking about.

"I still don't understand why I have to deliver this message to the Rogue. Do it yourself," said the Tyran, a greasy whine creeping into his voice.

"Look, it ain't like I have choice. I was told t' give it t' you. When you return t' Tyra, you're t' tell his majesty that the Gallan Rogue won't fight 'til his mot returns. If she dinna come back, he isn't gonna fight this blasted Rogue war." The Dodger says, whispering in a slimy, Tyran way, which reminds me far too much of rivermuck.

I pick up Pounce and give him a mock scowl. Pounce looks abashed and I put him down. He runs over to Goodwin, who's looking at me. I pretend to stretch my left hand and her eyes dart to the two Tyrans. She gives a nod to let me know she's keeping her ears open.

"Well, his majesty will want to know what the mot looks like. Maybe even put a writ out for her death?" Says the dignitary with a flippant look over his shoulder. He couldn't have seen anyone coming with that fast a glance, he's just checking cuz he oughta.

"I dinna know that much about her. I was gonna approach her, but she plum disappeared. I'm told she's a beauty. Used to be a dancer and that she's got eyes like molt'n gold. It ain't much." The man notices me standing there and shuts up, disappearing in the crowd. Molten Gold eyes. Now I know of a woman, fresh come from Galla, with eyes of gold. And she's been bugging my man from day one. Not like I was gonna admit _that_ in a report, but still.

I walk over to Goodwin, who holds up her baton, and I tap it with mine. We continue onto our watch, and later meet up with Tunstall and Ersken. Rather than splitting up after dinner, we go on a foursome walk, down into the docks. We were in the Barrel's Bottom when a fight broke out.

Being as it's so violent, someone oughta just burn down the Barrel's Bottom. It's been called the Barrel of Blood by the younger city folk, and the name has stuck with it. I dinna know why we go in there. We're only looking for a beating. We got one. I think it was Ersken who tripped over some mumper's feet, and he got right offended and threw Ersken into another fellow's ale. Well, rather than get mad at the mumper who threw Ersken, the other fellow gets mad at Ersken. We were forced to defend our own.

Goodwin and Tunstall were tidy in the slew of fighters, Ersken and I turned tail and tried to get out of there, and maybe call up more Dogs. I got my face smashed into a door frame, and it broke my nose. Ersken got the stuffing knocked out of him. I dinna know how Tunstall and Goodwin had managed to walk out of that mess with a few bruises a piece, but Ersken and I were sore hurting. Goodwin came out the door, clapping her hands together to get the dirt off. Tunstall was right behind her.

There was a shout of "Come back here, you mangy bitch!" and Tunstall pushed Goodwin to the ground, taking the missile aimed at Goodwin in his own shoulder. Well, if the Barrel of Blood was bad, it just got worse. Goodwin hauled herself in again, with Ersken hot on her heels. I couldn't fight being as me and Tunstall were technically the invalids. I wrapped Tunstall's shoulder, knife and all with both his and my handkerchiefs, then peeked in the door. Folk had cleared a circle. Fighting Dogs with their bare hands is a mark of honor; turning a blade on a Dog got you arrested. They didn't want anything to do with the scummer no more and had let Goodwin have him. Ersken hobbled him, while Goodwin administered a sharp lecture with her baton. The man had more bruises than Ersken and tailed our way to the Kennel.

Goodwin kept looking over her shoulder at me and Tunstall, making sure Tunstall was still alive and walking. "Ye've got a death wish, don't you, Mattes?" She grumbled, whacking the knee's of the scummer who threw the knife. He looked a right mess, and every time he looked at Goodwin, he winced.

"No more a death wish than any other Dog on the Evening Watch." He groaned some as his shoulder jostled a bit. I tightened the handkerchief, making sure the knife didn't go nowhere. There wasn't a lot of blood, being as the knife hadn't been pulled out. It was just stuck there, all the blood stuck with it.

"Since when were you so chivalrous," Goodwin looked over her shoulder again, "taking a dagger meant for me?"

"Dinna know. People keep telling me you're supposed to be chivalrous 'round women. But I told the bugger that you wouldn't like that." He joked as we approached the Kennel. Only Tunstall could bait Goodwin while he had a knife in his shoulder. Ersken, Tunstall, and I went to the healer; Goodwin hauled our Rat to the Cages.

Tunstall went first, being as a dagger in the shoulder is a nasty wound, and the bookie needs to put the dagger into evidence. Tunstall was healed lickety split. I let Ersken go next, cuz he got trashed the most, what with being thrown across the room. It would have been an impressive toss, being as it broke the table, along with spilling the other mans ale, if the object being tossed didn't happen to be my partner and friend.

When the healer looked at me, I knew I was in for it. She had to move the bones of my nose back into place before she could heal it. Her hands were cool, lightly touching my nose, fingering where the bones were. Then with a sharp tug, stars exploded in front of my eyes, and I gave a yelp of pain. After that, her magic covered all of my nose and it was healed, though still red and it would bruise for sure for the blow I had taken.

Tunstall had his shoulder in a sling for the evening, so he sent Ersken to the supply room to fetch sommat. When he came back, Ersken was carrying bruisebalm. Now why in the name of the Mother Goddess would some addlepate put bruisebalm in the supply room, rather than in the healers room? Ugh. I rubbed the balm gingerly into my nose, and the bruise went down, so that it was just a yellow splotch on my face.

I headed home, sore and grumpy. Especially since, I was heading back to my room at a later hour than I usually do. No one was downstairs, and I knew most folk would be in bed. But I stopped by Rosto's door anyway, knocking only once. He opened it immediately. Since he was still dressed, I imagine he'd been writing in his own Journal.

"You're late," he told me, his dark eyes looking me over, flitting like dragonflies over every bruise that's visible, especially the yellowing one on my nose.

"I got into a spot of trouble at the Barrel's Bottom." I explained, leaning gingerly against the doorframe, hoping to avoid pressing any of my more nasty bruises.

"Someone should burn that place down. It's too dangerous, even for the Rogue." He reached a finger towards my nose. "You broke it, didn't you?" I nodded. "Tell Guardswoman Cooper she's ruining Beka's good looks." That made me laugh.

"It ain't that bad. How was court?" I asked, hoping to take the attention off of me. Rosto's face goes dark, and he's scowling. "What happened?"

"Nothing horribly big," he tried to evade my questions, but I laid a hand to his cheek. He looked me in the eyes, "Kashana wants the title of Queen of the Rogue."

"Isn't she supposed to challenge Aniki for that?" I asked. He nodded. "So what's she dangling over your head, so as you're this solemn?"

"You. She saw us this morning." He said it so quietly, almost like he didn't want to say it too loud for fear someone would hear. I swore. Vehemently. In Scanran. That made Rosto chuckle, though the laugh didn't reach his black eyes. I thought about what that Tyran fellow had said, about the Gallan Rogue's favorite dancer-mot. With the bright gold eyes.

"Rosto, would you say Kashana has unique eyes?" I asked, trying to play the scenario out.

"They're like molted gold. They're as unique as yours," he said, his face getting pleasantly confused as he's trying to figure out what's the point of my question. "Though, I'll admit that yours are prettier." That made me smile.

"It's just, she's lived in Galla. And this afternoon, I hear tell that the Gallan Rogue is missing his golden eyed beauty." I know Rosto is the Rogue, and technically, I shouldn't be sharing gossip I garnered as a Dog, with the Rogue. But this concerns our private life, so I told it to him anyway. Rosto's black eyes went hard, and I could tell he was angry. His eyes narrowed as he thought. I wonder what's going on in that mind. Rosto is frightfully clever and he's probably got a lot more figured out than I do.

"I wonder," he mused, running his fingers over the scar that earned him the title, King of the Rogue. "This isn't from your pigeons?" I shook my head. There's a plan working in Rosto's mind, and I wish I could get in his head, to watch parts of it unfold. But, being as it's hard enough to be Beka, and Guardswoman Cooper, I don't reckon I want to be in Rosto's head, too.

Instead of letting him keep thinking in the doorway, I pulled his head towards me and pressed my mouth into his. He tensed up a bit, not expecting my kiss, then sighed warmly. In a practiced gesture, his hand found my waist, and pulled me tight into him. We kissed for several minutes, just standing there outside his door, when I pulled away.

"I've just had a healing, and I still got to write up a report. I'll see you for breakfast?" I asked. I knew he'd be there, but I asked anyway. He nodded, and droped one more kiss on my mouth and I scampered up the stairs. I heard his door click shut. Just me and Pounce tonight.

August 7, 247.

Today was court. Goodwin had to report on the scummer that put a dagger in Tunstall last night. I almost felt sorry for the lad: he had Goodwin glaring at him, and the magistrate was going on and on about how the Dogs is the face of the law, and how it's a hanging offense for someone to deliberately turn a blade on a Dog, and the miter looked right miserable. He will be hanged. The Magistrate passed judgment on that quickly.

After Court, I was relatively free for the evening. I was in my room feeding pigeon's when I hear Aniki's knock on my door. I tell her to come in, and she's standing there with Laddybuck, who's gotten to be quite the big kitten now, but still loves being held by any mot as comes his way.

"I know you had Court today," Aniki says, strolling casually over to my clothes press. I'm rather stumped as to what she's expecting to find in there, but I let it play out. Aniki's as interesting and complex in her thoughts as Rosto is. "You have any plans for this evening?"

"Not much. Ersken and I were going to go for a walk, but his mum's roped him into a dinner with a craftsman's daughter, she pounced on him right after we walked out of Court. He couldn't just say 'no' to his ma." Aniki laughed as I threw the last of the corn meal out the window so it was in the yard, and the pigeon's flew after it. I closed the shutters.

"I was wondering, if maybe you'd join us here at the Dove tonight," she said casually, but I figured she had a plan twirling in her mind. She opens the clothes press, "you could wear this here skirt, and I've got a blouse that would look much better on you than on me."

"Aniki, you know as well as I, that a Dog in the Court of the Rogue, especially this Dog, will not go over well with all those Rushers." I know both of us are looking at my baton, and my Dog uniform hanging in the clothes press. I'm painfully remembering the nasty words I said to Aniki in Port Caynn. "What're you not saying, Aniki?"

"I'm just saying, our Court will be interesting tonight, and maybe _Beka_ would like to come." Aniki walks up to me, gives me an innocent kiss on the cheek, and then walks out of my room. I dinna like it when she does that, the false sweet thing. It's like a scorpion pretending it's a kitten. It's very obvious. I look at the dress in my clothes press. I'm looking through some of the dresses I have. The blue one I wore to my Lord Provosts is clean, and pressed. Pounce gives my leg a nudge and I decide to take the dress out and put it on. It fits me perfectly, and I decide to put a touch of face paint on, just to hide the leftovers of last-nights nasty bruise. A touch of rouge, and my hair pulled out of its bun, and I could pass for a right common mot.

"Pounce," I tell him, seating him on the table. "I will not walk like a Dog tonight. I've got to blend in, not stand out. People of the rogue have got to see me, and not notice me. So, you tell me if I'm walking or holdin' myself in a Dog-ish way." I try a few walks across my room, until I get the hang of not walking like a Dog. I'm a right player, and Pounce and I develop a whole new manner of standing and walking and talking for me, when I'm not playing Dog. It's like pretending to be a doxy in Port Caynn, only my dress ain't so dangerously low-cut.

_Let's go downstairs, I hear Cookie's making tarts tonight. I want one before that overfed baby of Aniki's gets his paws in one. _Pounce jumps off my table, and with his tail high, makes for the door. I grab a dagger and stick it in my sash and close the door behind me. It's odd, eating dinner at the Dove. Cookie was right pleased to see me, calling me 'Miss Beka' or 'the lady Cooper,' which made me laugh some. I was eating by myself, with only Cookie for company when a harsh voice sounds from the stairs.

"Cookie, I don't care how pretty she is, you ain't supposed to let people in until I've come down." The voice is snappy, icy, and hard, and I turn around to face the Rogue/Rosto. He looks taken aback to see me eating at the Dove tonight. I give him a quirked eyebrow, and Rosto gives me one back.

"I dinna let her in, boss. She just came down them stairs. Was I supposed to send her and her Constellation-Cat packing?" Cookie is teasing Rosto, and he puts another plate in front of me, this one heaped with fluffed rice, spicy chicken, and a pepper stuffed with shredded potatoes, with a dollop of sour cream on top. It all looks so good, I can hardly keep from digging in. Cookie's deepest desire, is to put some 'healthy flesh' on me, Aniki, and Kora. He says it ain't natural for mots to be so hard and muscular. We've got to have something soft to hold. Which is why the three of us always get food, even without asking.

"Please, Cookie. Open the door, the Court of the Rogue begins shortly," says Rosto, waving a hand at the man. I know Rosto's just as fond of Cookie as any of us are. He has to act the nasty snob acos he's the Rogue as well. While Cookie sends a mot to open the door, Rosto comes to stand near me. "What are you doin' here love?" he asks with a whisper, his eyes flickering towards the door.

"Aniki invited me," I tell him, picking up a fork. Rosto never eats when he's the Rogue. And he'll only ever have one glass of wine. It's to avoid anyone poisoning his food or drink. I look at the door, and hand Rosto over my fork. "Eat while you can, for I know not a crumb passes through the Rogue's lips. I can always get more from Cookie later." Rosto gives me a swift kiss on the cheek and takes several large bites off my plate, while I watch the door. It would be odd for folk to see him eating my food, from my plate. So he eats fast. He's half finished the rice and my stuffed pepper when he hands back the fork.

"Gods all bless you," he says, when he spots someone walking toward the Dove. He trots over to his throne, and very quickly takes up his spot as Rosto the Piper, Rusher and King of the Court of the Rogue. He's not all Rogue, and he probably won't be, but he does need to look serious. I turn back to the counter where Cookie has already refilled my plate.

I go to eating my dinner, while the Dancing Dove fills with all manner of Rushers, doxies, and the like. Aniki walks down, taking a seat up near Rosto. Kora's there, reading fortunes and souring most of them, being as I know she wanted to talk to Ersken tonight. If it weren't for Cookie and his two mots, I'd be the only person there who was on the right side of the law.

At some point in the evening, a troubadour walks into the Rogue, asking for permission to play his songs for whatever coin people are willing to give. He's got a sweet voice and a guitar. He plays a few well known songs, and says he'll take requests. When no one offers up a song, he goes around serenading the ladies that are there. When he eyes me, I turn quickly back to the counter. Folk can't recognize me. I'm a Dog. I shouldn't be here.

"Lovely eyed lady, allow me to sing you a song?" he says, leaning into me, and I can feel myself stiffen up. He starts to sing a song about a fair maiden who'd fallen in love with the handsome scoundrel, Long Lankin, and she pined for him, her eyes filled with tears of the moon, beneath a beautiful willow tree. If I remember it correctly, Beneath the Lankin's Willow , or something like that. I grab his guitar, stopping the chorus, which I know is bawdy and racy, because it describes what happens when Lankin finds her. The Troubadour looks affronted.

Leaning in to his ear, I hiss at him, "You dinna wait for my answer. I don't want to be serenaded. And not with that ballad. Now, I know five ways to kill you, even though I'm in this dress. Do not look at me, or call attention to me again tonight if you wish to live. You want a song to sing, play the Water Song, and leave me be to enjoy my meal." He looks into my eyes, and when he sees them hard as ice, he flinches. I let go of his guitar, and he walks back to the center of the room.

"The lady has requested the Water Song," he says loudly, still rather nervous from my harsh words. He starts to sing and the groups' attention wanders from me. _Thank the gods. _I can feel Rosto watching me from his throne, and I know he's itching to find out what I said to the troubadour to make him go away like that.

At the point where I would've switched Senior Partners, had I been on Watch, Ersken slips in through the front door. He looked like he'd been stuffed into a tunic too small, and leggings too tight. Bold Brian poked a bit of fun at him, but otherwise left him alone. Being as Ersken's one of the few people who could recognize me in a dress, he came over to sit down. I let him sit and bang his head against the counter.

"Ale, please. I've had nothing but barley water for the past three hours." He grumbles, when Cookie leans over him to see if he's alright. When Cookie places a tankard of the Rose Red's ale on the counter, Ersken exhales like it's the gods' own nectar.

"How was dinner with your family?" I ask, ruffling his hair, and helping him sit up like a normal person. Ersken shudders. "That bad, huh?" Ersken stares at his ale. "You know, there's this cove I know, who's got a boarding house. He might be willing to rent you a room, cheap."

"After tonight, I'm seriously considering it." Ersken says, taking a sip of the ale. He takes another sip, and his shoulders are no longer tense. "My mother wants me to marry."

"You're not yet 18! Ain't that a bit young?" I ask, urging Cookie to bring over something hearty. If I know Ersken's parents (which I do) he didn't have a bite of normal food at that dinner. "Here lad, eat up." Ersken looks mercifully at me and digs in. Between forkfuls he manages to tell me how his mother thinks it's high time for her only son to marry, being as she's already married off Ersken's sisters. What does the woman want? She's already got grandchildren.

"Do you think I could move in here? I mean, I'm here half the time anyway, acos of Kora, but if I move away for good, I'd like to be close to my friends. Especially you, Beka." He looks right ready to collapse.

"You'd have to ask Rosto, but I'm sure he'd let you a room." He's back to his ale now, and I look around the room for Kora. She noticed Ersken the moment he came in, and has been watching carefully for the past half-hour. I motion for her to come forward. She scuttles over quickly and takes Ersken upstairs.

I listen to the hustle and bustle of the Dove, the loud and boisterous shouting, and the blatant disregard for the King's Law, and it makes my hands itchy. I want to storm upstairs, get my sap, and start breaking in fingers. The bell above the door rings and more people walk in, and I can tell the Dove is about to get noisier: there's several coves who are already roaring drunk. I look back towards the door as the bell rings again: a mot with vivid gold eyes is standing there, and everyone in the Dove goes quiet. It seems everyone knows that she's one worth watching, especially with the Rogue in a sour mood. I turn quickly back to my cup of barley water. I can hear Kashana's shoes click on the floor and she wanders around.

_People don't want to incur the Rogue's anger,_ I think, as I notice she doesn't really sit down with anyone, and no one calls out to her. She takes a seat next to me at the bar, leaning with her back to Cookie. She glances at me and then does a double take until she's staring at me. "You are the last person I want to sit next to." She hisses at me. The entire bar is still watching her.

"Well then, sit elsewhere, I was here first." I tell her quietly. She plants herself far too close to my food. One look from me, and she winces, but stays exactly where she is. She glares at me with those disconcerting gold eyes, and I get a small taste of what my eyes do to folk.

"You are a DOG, you don't belong here." She says it plain and loud and I can hear a few of the doxies titter in a corner. "Unless of course, there's a reason you're here." She hisses at me and I can see her eyes glance at Rosto.

"Yeah, I live here. And I'm hungry." I say simply, turning in my chair to look at her. People gasp when they realize that the mot in the corner is Guardswoman Rebakah Cooper. "Now bug off, you Gallan trixie, and leave me alone."

"What makes you think I'm Gallan? I was born in Scanra." She seethes and purrs all in one breath and I can't stand it.

"You belong to the Gallan Rogue." I say it simply and it causes an outbreak of hushed whispers. I can see Rosto's eyebrow twitch and Aniki's eyes narrow.

"I belong to Rosto," she says sweetly and looks at him. Rosto doesn't move. She leans and whispers in my ear, "Just like you do."

"You wanna say that aloud?" I growl at her. She gives me a wicked grin and stands to face the folk of the Dove and stalks over to Rosto's throne.

"Rosto, my love, I'm afraid I'm going to have to up our arrangement date. Clear the seat next to you and hand the Title of Queen to me, your lady love, or I will spill your darkest secrets to the Dove." Her threat makes Rosto quirk an eyebrow and he glares at her.

"You belong to the Gallan." Rosto says quietly, "I'll not have my Rogue Queen someone else's bed toy." Aniki leans forward and looks at me. There's a look that asks me, 'how much does she know?' and my eyes answer her. Once she has her answers, she looks at Kashana, who appears to have realized that Rosto is denying her claim to the throne.

"At least I'm a rogue, not like your bed-friend, who is on the King's side of the Law." Kashana hisses it and people in the Rogue turn their eyes immediately to me. My response should be one of confusion and misunderstanding. So I contort my face, to wonder if she's mad, which really isn't that hard. "Your 'mots,' the kitten, the blue eyed one, and the singer. They are all the same mot, aren't they? The lovely cur, Beka Cooper."

Everyone is looking at me, wondering how I'm going to respond. I'm saved from having to say anything by a voice from the stairs. "If you want to be Queen of the Rogue, there is no need for you to make up vicious rumors about Beka or Rosto." Kora says, stepping down into the actual tavern.

"He loves her." Kashana spits, whirring around to look at Kora on the stairs.

"Why on earth would he?" says Kora, walking past Kashana like she isn't there. Kora takes a seat on the arm of Rosto's chair. "He has us." Kora shares a glance with Aniki, who stands up and plunks herself in Rosto's lap.

"If you wish to be Rosto's Queen, you don't challenge him. You challenge me." Aniki says, her blue eyes flash in the firelight, and light shimmers through her blond hair. A thought strikes me right there: Aniki's got a fair singing voice, she's blond haired, blue-eyed, and she's a cat-like grace to the way she walks and moves: Rosto could easily talk about me, and misconstrue it as him talking about his Queen. Aniki. Most folk don't know about her and Phelan, and as Queen she could have her pick of men.

"Why on earth would I challenge you?" Kashana sneers, "I don't even know you."

"Precisely. For if you did, you would know that Rosto and I practically share the Crown. He is King of the Rogue, and I am Queen. Not Queen over a handful of annoying doxies. Queen." Aniki gets up and stalks over to where Kashana is standing. It appears as though I've been forgotten. "You want to be his Queen, you had better be willing to wrestle the position from me."

"The Dog has already replaced you in his heart." Kashana says with a sneer.

"Do you really think I would not notice if my king had taken a Dog to his bed? I would be able to smell her, the mangy thing." Aniki spins and kicks Kashana's feet out from under her. Kashana gives a muffled squeal as she falls, and stares Kashana in the face. "These eyes are all he sees when he wakes in the morning. They will be the last thing you see tonight." Aniki kicks Kashana soundly, then whips her broadsword out. Before I can say anything, she's plunged the sword into Kashana's ribcage, like she was an oversized pincushion.

For a second, no one says anything and then someone whimpers: one of the doxies in the corner. Aniki glares up at them. "Next mot that tries to make a move on my man, when he clearly doesn't want it, will find themselves tied to a very large boulder in the middle of the Olorun, with more than a knife in her lungs." Aniki pulls her sword out and the blood starts to seep from Kashana's body onto the floor.

Kashana looks to me and then looks to Rosto, who is sitting stoically on his throne, as though one of his past loves was not speedily dying on the floor in front of him. She coughs and blood coats her lips. I look at Rosto, and I can see he's gone: the Rogue is in his eyes, and there is no light in him. Only darkness, and only shadows. He keeps his dark, unforgiving gaze on Kashana and she coughs, stretching a hand toward him, finding it harder to breathe as blood pours out from her wounds, and into her lungs.

"You" she splutters, looking at Rosto, "have no.." she coughs again and there is a stricken look on her face, "You have no heart." The stricken look turns to one of fear and she spasms and shakes for a moment and she relaxes, falling limp and bleeding onto the floor. She's dead.

"I'm not supposed to." The Rogue says coldly. He stands up and snaps his fingers at his own personal train of Rushers. "Get rid of her" he points to Kashana. I sit there staring at him, _how can he be so cold? When he no longer loves me, will it be the same? _The men remove the body and one of Cookie's kitchen girls comes out with a mop for the blood. Like she was never there. Like a woman didn't just die on that floor. Aniki doesn't give the area a second glance.

"And me, Your Majesty," I hear myself say it, before I've properly thought it out. Perhaps I shouldn't be talking to the Rogue. It ain't safe, not when he so easily treats the killing of a woman.

"What about you, miss Cooper?" The Rogue says, his eyes flashing black. "You aren't in uniform. This is what the Happy Bag is for."

"To ignore murder." I find myself saying, _why am I defending a mot I didn't really even like? _

"No. She was a casualty, tragically. She was a Gallan spy who challenged Aniki for the title of Queen. She was a casualty of a fight that she didn't think before she entered. Aniki won." The Rogue said coolly, and I nod.

"May she find peace in the Black God's Realm." I say solemnly and stride over to a window. I can feel everyone watching me. Even the Rogue. Especially the Rogue. I cannot feel Rosto's eyes and it scares me. I open the window and look out into the street. People are still watching me. My dove is there, and it flits to the open window, two pigeon's with it. I pick up the dove and look at the two pigeons. One has a collar of iridescent green feathers around its neck, and it's beady yellow eyes are warm and quiet. It flits inside and lands on Rosto's table, looking at him.

I can hear the pigeon croo sadly as the Rogue shoo's it off the table. _'I really did love you, Rosto. I will wait for you. I was always waiting for you.' _ Says Kashana's ghost, and the pigeon flies off through the window. I kiss the dove on the head and let it go as well, closing the window.

"Goodnight, all." I say, pushing my way to the stairs, turning to look at everyone just before I go. The Rogue's eyes close, and when he looks back up at me, I can tell Rosto is fighting for control.

I couldn't go back downstairs, and I remember Kora knocking on my door. But I couldn't open it. The heartless look in the Rogue's eyes scared me, and no amount of knocking to "talk about it" was going to change my mind. Especially not from Kora or Aniki. I wanted to hear it from Rosto. I needed to hear it from him. I spent my time writing this when the door opened and in walked a very weary looking Rosto the Piper.

"You're upset," he says, leaning against the wall near my desk, while I'm writing. "You and I both know, her death fixes a lot of problems. No Gallan spy, no Gallan Rat-King in the Rogue war, no half-crazy mot trying to tear us apart. Everything is fixed, back to the way it was."

"She did love you," I tell Rosto, putting my pen down and staring at the map of Corus that is above my desk: there's no pins in the map, but I've added in all my dustspinners, and but plain white pins in for all the places I can claim as sanctuary. There's Mama's grave, a few temples, the Dove, the Kennel, and the Provosts house.

"I imagine in some twisted way, she did. But I couldn't love her." Rosto says, looking at the map as well.

"But you did, once. She was waiting for you to come back to her." I tell him, repeating her ghosts last words. Rosto's eyebrow twitches.

"I know what's bothering you." Rosto is quiet and he sits on my desk. "Beka, I loved the person Kashana was, she was young and smart and vibrant and independent. The mot you saw, wasn't any of those things, and the Kassie I loved was long gone. My Kassie died years ago, when she went to Galla. She wasn't _my_ Kassie after that. I saw her again before I came here. She had changed. My feelings for her didn't. I just realized that she wasn't the same mot and made myself get over it. You're much steadier, and as far as I see it, I'm not planning on giving you up any time soon. You won't end up like her. I swear, you won't."

"Are you saying that the Rosto won't let the Rogue kill me, that Rosto wouldn't just stand by and watch? Because I vaguely remember you saying otherwise in Port Caynn." I turn to look at him, and I can tell that there's a back and forth going on in his mind. Just like there is in mine. This is one of those moments where I wonder, why in the name of the black god, am I still with him. I know he's dangerous.

"Beka, are you saying that you'd just lie down and die, if the Rogue turned a death gaze on you?" Rosto says quietly.

"No. I'd tear him apart in the process. Or I'd let Guardswoman Cooper do it." I lean back into my chair and I can see his eyes flash, still thinking, back and forth.

"You are, undoubtedly, the only one who could. Tear me apart, that is" He says, finally looking me in the eyes, and wincing at the stare I'm giving him. "Ease up on the ice, 't ain't winter yet." He puts his hand over mine on the table. "Beka, I don't like that it had to be handled this way, and I don't like how the Rogue handled it. But the Rogue can handle that—a usurper for his Queen's throne. And I don't think I, as Rosto, could have handled it in any way that was successful. So I let Aniki do it, and I let Kashana die. But when I'm with you, I don't let the Rogue handle anything. I handle it. It makes a difference."

"She called you heartless."

"She was talking to the King of the Rogue. The Rogue is heartless. Not to Rosto, which was the man she fell in love with. We're a right set, aren't we? Different people once the sun goes down." Rosto puts his hand under my chin, and I've half a mind to jerk back, away from his hands, which could choke me as easily as touch me. But I don't, I stay there, looking at him.

"I don't know if I'll ever like how this was handled. I feel like, we could have dealt with her. You and me, not the King Rosto and Queen Aniki of the Rogue. She shouldn't have mixed the two worlds." I lean my cheek into his hand, which is cool and soft. He holds me there for a second, then places a kiss into my cheek.

"Come on, I want to show you something." Rosto says, taking my hand. I stand up and follow him. He walks up the stairs that lead into the attic. I rarely ever go up here. The attic here at the Dove technically belongs to the Rogue. It's a rentable room, with a bed and everything, but there's a lot of boxes that I dare not look into. See, the "room" is registered to a tenant listed as "Patsov." The Rat. As in, the Rat-King, of Corus. These items all belong to the Rogue. Rosto leads me past the boxes and toward a small window. He opens it, slides through onto the landing, and motions for me to follow him. I move slowly, it's a long way to fall.

"This way," he says, tiptoeing onto the roof until he's just next to the chimney. "Sit," he says, plumping down, with his back against the brick. There aren't many tall buildings in the Lower City . Most are a floor, maybe two, at the most three. But the Dove has the attic, which makes it a whole 4 floors high, and it isn't much, but there's a view across the city.

"You can tell where each district is, from up here. Those are the tops of the bridges: that's the dockmarket. That clock tower there, is just down the street from the Kennel. And I take it you know what that big building in the distance is." He points to the castle, which looks like a frumpy old aunt who refuses to dress for company.

"No, I've never seen that one before," I joke with him. "Who lives there again? Roger, Roald, or was it Jonathan?" I ask, teasing him.

"Well, I don't know. But his highness makes my job harder every day, putting up these new rules and laws. Fancy pants, what does he know about the effectiveness of Rules in the Lower City ?" Rosto scoffs, and I laugh. "Look up."

I do and there's a sea of stars. "This is nice, Rosto. I could stay up here, just looking at the city and the sky and the stars."

"You can see everything from up here. And no one can see us. No one bothers to look up." Rosto pulls me next to him, and I lean into his side looking around at the sky, and the city spread out around us.

"Except a Dog," I remind him gently.

"I'm not here with a Dog. I'm here with my lady-love, Beka." Rosto whispers in my ear. It doesn't fix what happened, but it does make it better.

* * *

Author's Note: "Lady Wolf hangs her head, very embarrassed" It is my fault that this chapter took so long to come up. There are no excuses for taking this long, but in my defense, i got sidetracked a lot this past few months. I was working on an Eragon-fic and the story that is supposed to follow this one, "Piper's Gold" which is also cowritten with Lioness. If anything, everyone should give Lioness a good hardy round of applause, because it's through her help and encouragement that this one finally got finished.

Thanks everyone for reading.

Affectionately,

Lioness's Heart (aka Lioness) and Adagio to a Wolf (aka Lady Wolf).


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